A shot at good health

More than 85 percent of newborns in Vietnam’s Hai Duong province now receive a lifesaving dose of hepatitis B vaccine within their first day of life. Since 2009, PATH has worked with Vietnam’s National Expand Program on Immunization to reinvigorate its hepatitis B birth-dose program and provide infants with important protection from the disease.

The birth dose reaches infants within the critical 24 hours after birth and protects them from most hepatitis B infections that are passed from mother to child. PATH is applying our model in two additional provinces, helping to ensure even more families can raise children free from hepatitis B. Read more on our blog.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Convenient injectable contraceptives will reach up to 3 million women. PATH and our partners are collaborating to reach women in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia with a contraceptive packaged in the prefilled, autodisable Uniject™ injection system. The project is designed to expand women’s family planning options in even the most remote regions.

New vaccine technology protects backyard poultry, helps rural poor. A fast-dissolving vaccine tablet developed by PATH and the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines will help people in low-resource settings immunize their chickens against Newcastle disease. The technology targets one of the biggest threats to rural poultry and protects an important livelihood for the world’s poor.

Project explores vaccines to protect newborns through maternal immunization. PATH is collaborating with vaccine developer Novavax, Inc. to advance the clinical development of a vaccine candidate for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that could be given to pregnant women to protect their children from the common virus. No vaccine yet exists for RSV.

Low-cost pneumococcal vaccine could help stop leading childhood killer. PATH is supporting the clinical development and licensure of a new conjugate vaccine that protects against severe pneumonia and other pneumococcal diseases at an affordable price. Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among young children.

Tanzanians with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) receive crucial support. PATH is strengthening Tanzanian health workers’ abilities to diagnose and treat patients with MDR-TB, a growing global threat. Nearly three-fourths of patients at the country’s national TB hospital received successful treatment, and district-level health staff now are trained to better manage these complex cases.

PATH launches first project in Myanmar. Our new work in Myanmar, also known as Burma, focuses on improving newborn health in three townships in Yangon. In addition, PATH is exploring the introduction of vaccines and other technologies to improve maternal and child health and nutrition.

Global Campaign for Microbicides to close. For nearly 15 years the campaign, housed at PATH, championed the ethical development of and access to microbicides and other HIV prevention options, especially for women. PATH will host a selection of the campaign’s resources on our website.

PATH’s comprehensive toolkit to help developing countries plan for and purchase reproductive health supplies is now available in Spanish.

A fact sheet shares tools and lessons learned from a successful project in Cambodia to expand use of a ceramic water pot and provide more people with safe drinking water. Sign up on our website to receive PATH’s newest materials about safe water, including a magazine that summarizes five years of learning.

Congressional briefing evaluates President’s Malaria Initiative. Bipartisan political support and continued funding for malaria-control programs are imperative for fighting the disease, malaria experts told members of Congress during the briefing hosted by PATH and our partners. Panelists highlighted dramatic gains toward reducing malaria but said new tools and investments are also needed for long-term success.

PATH joins call for child survival. PATH and other international groups and leaders signed a commitment to accelerate access to existing interventions for treating diarrheal disease and pneumonia to end preventable child deaths.

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LEADERSHIP UPDATES

Dr. Ponni Subbiah is the new leader of PATH’s drug development program, which is based on our affiliation with OneWorld Health. Dr. Subbiah most recently was vice president of global access within the Emerging Markets Business Unit at Pfizer Inc.

David Wu will join PATH in September as our chief development officer, a newly created position. He is currently the vice president of External Relations at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo.

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Uniject is a trademark of BD. MenAfriVac is a trademark of Serum Institute of India Ltd.

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